Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel

Higher and higher

It’s difficult to believe while looking at the skyline of Dubai, that this coastal city was once a modest fishing port. A lot has happened since that period beginning with the 1990s when the city experienced the start of an unbridled race towards what might be called, “gigantism” and which was barely slowed down by the world financial crisis of 2008. Projects continue to succeed one another at lightning speed, and skyscrapers have become an integral part of the city’s skyline. Prestigious brand names, spectacular buildings and an increasing number of skyscrapers are shaping the city’s visual identity. Although Dubai only has 216 buildings, it is the second in the density of skyscrapers per inhabitant. A number of the structures are truly emblematic like the Burj Al Arab Hotel, considered by many to be the absolute height of luxury, and the 823 meter high Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The majority of the towers are on the Sheik Zayed Road, in the heart of the financial district, including two that are almost twins and are among the Emirate’s most prestigious buildings.

Luxury, business and sensual pleasure

The Emirates Towers are the 355-meter high Emirates Office Towers and The Jumeirah Emirates Tower measuring 309 meters. Only the latter tower is totally occupied by a luxury hotel. Its 56 floors make it the 4^th tallest hotel in the world. Although designed primarily for a business clientele, it meets the needs of visitors who come to Dubai for business or for pleasure. The 400 rooms ranging in size from 44 to 312 square meters assure guests of a warm welcome in an environment where oriental style service adapts itself to their needs. 15 bars and restaurants, a spa and an outdoor swimming pool as well as privileged access to the beach are all important for the guest’s well-being and meet the criteria of luxury in a building of this high standing. The two towers are connected at the base by a 9000 square meter commercial complex called The Boulevard, a shopper’s paradise with a great many luxury boutiques and innumerable references in the areas of fashion, gastronomy and cosmetics. Hotel guests have free access to the aquatic amusement park, Wild Wadi Waterpark, a very popular attraction in Dubai. At the foot of the towers, there’s a lush garden, a real oasis in this constantly developing city and a superb contrast with the two towers which rise up like improbable mirages. The Jumeirah Emirrates Towers Hotel is an icon, which is what its architect, Hazel W.S. Wong wanted. She designed the towers as an equilateral triangle first, for stability but more importantly, because it was a shape that invoked Islamic culture, the three points of the triangle standing respectively for the earth, the sun and the moon.

Although the Jumeirah Emirates Tower Hotel is the smaller of the two towers, it’s nevertheless the one with the most floors, 56 to 54. This is due to the higher ceilings in the Emirates Office Towers.